A recent survey by the American Academy of Dermatology asked a random sample of members about their use of, or plans to use, electronic health records (EHR) in their practices. The survey’s 582 respondents suggested that there is significant variation in how dermatologists have approached EHR adoption. More than 37 percent (220) said they had a fully implemented EHR system, while almost 32 percent (184) said they had no EHR system or plans to acquire one within the next 24 months.

The differences broke down largely by group size and type, with 74.7 percent of those in multispecialty groups already using EHR compared to 25.0 percent in solo practice, while 48.3 percent of soloists had no acquisition plans.

Those who had already adopted might have some good news to share with their colleagues, though. The survey asked about barriers to adoption. As the charts below show, those who have not yet adopted expect to have significant trouble with each of the six potential issues listed but fewer than half of those who have already adopted indicated that any of them were a major barrier.